A marriage of inconvenience
Not theirs by choice
He was one of eight
Why don't you get a wife?
What a strange question
He was playing the field
Having a ball
The time of his life
She came from a poor family
Too many kids
Dad dead. Mum bitter
Begging at the poor house
So as not to starve
The highlight of her life
Visit loving Auntie
Must wed to escape
He had a job, did extra work
Eldest son not wed
Time you left home son
We've found a girl for you
Doubtful but thought why not?
Shyly she thought, escape
Innocent though she was
So the angels wept
She was a martyr without love
Unaware of life
Her tears shed alone
Two children did she bear
But no son for his pride
No love in this family
War broke out so he went
She then coped alone
Thus shame was her companion
Often the girls were told
Your Dad gets home soon
They feared his heavy tread
He knew not what to say to them
So they hid from his sight
Hands over ears at night
Their childhood nightmares
Image found at www.huffingtonpost.com
I was told of this family many years ago from the Depression years, all the members have now passed on and it showed that by escaping poverty matters are often made worse by the compromises that are made.
"so the angels wept" - and so they must, watching people stumble onto mistaken paths and loveless unions........some of us stumble our way out again though, thankfully.
ReplyDeleteThis is soo poignant.. brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteWell to be reminded not every union is based on the love/romance stereotype
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in to read mine Robin
much love...
Inconvenience--or the underside of what seems convenient--may tell the story of many poor choices. You make a good witness of this needless martyrdom. And yet some see no other possibilities so it's a matter of which Hell to choose.
ReplyDeletethis was sad. I could only feel compassion towards the children. thanks.
ReplyDeleteThere're so many unfortunate circumstances and life situations...especially of that era...well told.
ReplyDeleteOh what a sad story. Unfortunately, too many people mary out of convenience or for other wrong reasons. So sad for the children.
ReplyDeleteIt's sadder still that such marriages of inconvenience are so common...
ReplyDeletechildren are the worst sufferers in such marriages...so sad..
ReplyDeleteI think this transcends time - a powerful poem Old Egg.. sadly a pattern may well repeated too often - sadly so..
ReplyDeleteTo change, to do something differently in order to break the pattern...
ReplyDeleteThis story thuds on my heart like a stone...probably because it is told over and over in our world.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many different levels of martyrdom. Your description is compelling!
ReplyDeleteSad story repeated way too often. When will we learn?
DeleteElizabeth
How many such marriages exist, Robin, even this day and age. It seems that we can make so many destructive decisions for all the wrong reasons. And angels suffer, yes...
ReplyDelete